Re: Re: [parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

Re: Re: [parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

[Gavin Hubbard]

> On Thu, Dec 19, 2002 at 01:51:18PM +1300, Gavin Hubbard wrote:
> > Hi
> > 
> > I'm installing a dual-boot rp2430 system for one of our developers
> > this weekend. Are there any parisc-linux issues I need to be aware of
> > with regards to the crippled firmware e.g. known installation problems
> > or gotchas?
> 
> Nope. You will want to upgrade the kernel ASAP though.
> Get the latest 2.4.19 kernel you can find.
> 
> > Also, if we do a firmware upgrade to rp2470 in two or three months time
> > will it require a complete rebuild or reinstallation of the linux OE to
> > support the unlocked hardware?
> 
> We don't have any rp2430's here to test such an upgrade.
> But I can't imagine any difference besides the additional (faster?) CPU
> (and more memory) getting recogized. Should your root disk get renamed,
> it's possible to recovery from that pretty easily - I've done it
> more than a few times.

Thanks Grant

The other difference is the PCI controller support - the rp2430 has two working PCI slots and two disabled slots which are enabled by the upgrade.

Since I don't actually know how the device disabling is done in hardware, I'm not convinced that parisc-linux will come up smoothly after I install the upgrade (I'm not worried about HP-UX - it will be fine). Can anyone shed light on this?

Regards,

Gavin

Re: Re: [parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

[Gavin Hubbard]

> On Thu, Dec 19, 2002 at 03:08:15PM +1300, Gavin Hubbard wrote:
> > The other difference is the PCI controller support - the rp2430 has two
> > working PCI slots and two disabled slots which are enabled by the upgrade.
> 
> ok. I didn't know that.
> 
> > Since I don't actually know how the device disabling is done in hardware,
> > I'm not convinced that parisc-linux will come up smoothly after
> > I install the upgrade (I'm not worried about HP-UX - it will be fine).
> 
> Well, if you really end up with the equivalent to an rp2470, then
> I can assure you there is a kernel out there that will work since
> that's what several developers are using (including myself).
> 
> > Can anyone shed light on this?
> 
> I suspect the rp2430 PDC simply doesn't report one (or two) of the
> PCI bus controllers. Neither HPUX nor parisc-linux will see those slots.
> Very simple to implement and requires no HW changes.
> 
> grant

Thanks for the info Grant. If the only difference is in the PDC device tables then the transition should work with no problem.

The reason we are going with a rp2430 -> rp2470 rather than starting with an rp2470 is that upgrade will coincide with the system moving from development into production. This move is dependent on guesses we've made about business conditions in a few months time (which might be wrong).

Regards,

Gavin

Re: Re: [parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

[Grant Grundler]

On Sat, Dec 21, 2002 at 04:19:55PM +1300, Gavin Hubbard wrote:
> Thanks for the info Grant. If the only difference is in the PDC device
> tables then the transition should work with no problem.

If your business will depend on this, then you need ask your
HP sales contacts to find out for sure and not just me guessing:
1) They have techinical support staff who are paid to figure this
   kind of thing out.
2) they will know a real customer is using/wants to use parisc-linux.
   (ie give parisc-linux visibility to the sales folks within HP)

hth,
grant

Re: Re: [parisc-linux] rp2430 questions

[John David Anglin]

> 2) they will know a real customer is using/wants to use parisc-linux.
>    (ie give parisc-linux visibility to the sales folks within HP)

That's definitely worthwhile.  A lot of progress has been made in the past
couple of years but we are definitely out gunned compared to the number
of developers working on other architecture.  Both ibm and sun are actively
promoting linux based systems on their architectures.

HP has to learn that there is now a system available for parisc that
surpasses in many ways their own.  There's still lots of rough edges,
but its coming.

Dave
-- 
J. David Anglin                                  dave.anglin@nrc.ca
National Research Council of Canada              (613) 990-0752 (FAX: 952-6605)